Santa Fe High prayer to continue
Houston TX Chronicle, pg 37 8Oct99 N6
By Edward Hegstrom
Judge's order allows religious practice before home football games

In a continuing battle that pits a member of the LDS church against school prayer, prayer has won out--at least for the rest of the football season.

It all started over a year ago when two families, one Mormon and the other Catholic, filed suit to cease prayers before football games at Santa Fe High in Houston, Texas. This won a decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that said that nonsectarian prayer could be used in solemn events, such as graduations, at Santa Fe High School, but not at such events as football games.

Last month, the family of a 17-year old Santa Fe student counter-sued, saying that banning prayer from such a venue infringed on her right of free speech. This suit resulted in a preliminary injunction to allow the prayers through the end of the season.

The irony of the situation is that groups are now gathering at games to protest the continuing prayer, the group consisting of "secular humanists, atheists and others [who] will turn out for the protest to stand up against the extreme Christian religious right."